


Locked Away

by EmeraldSage86



Category: Tangled (2010)
Genre: A Sort Of Redemption, Imprisonment, Inner Dialogue, Lots Of Alone Time, heart to heart talks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-04-19 09:01:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14233857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldSage86/pseuds/EmeraldSage86
Summary: Things should have been so simple, The Criminal shows up, Gothel gets rid of him then she can take Rapunzel away to a new hiding spot. But it didn't go that way, things went wrong and now Gothel has been imprisoned. Now she sits in her personal prison with no one but her own thoughts.Though, things may not be as bad as they seem.Rated Teen For Language





	Locked Away

Boredom, If Gothel had to pick one feeling that was dominate in her mind at the moment it would have to be boredom, simply because she'd gone through any other possible feeling during the last few days.

When Flynn Rider had come to the tower for Rapunzel Gothel had been caught a bit off guard, understandably so seeing as how she was positive the man had been arrested and sentenced to death. It didn't have to be a problem though, simply allow him into the tower and end him as soon as he had his back to her. But unfortunately for Gothel, Rider had managed to understand what Rapunzel had been trying to say through her gag and managed to defend himself. A frying pan, everything Gothel had worked for these past eighteen years ruined by a cooking utensil, where did he even get one between the castle and the tower? He had to have run straight there in order to-

Gothel stops herself, she was dwelling again. Who really cared how it happened, what mattered was that it happened and now Gothel had been brought to her very own personal prison cell.

Gothel's cell was, Ironically enough, a tower. A tall secluded tower set near the back of the castle that was hard to notice if you weren't sure what exactly you were looking for, the set up was a little to perfect for it not to have been Rapunzel's idea or maybe Rider's. It's more spacious then a normal jail cell, over twice as large, though Gothel could only reach about half of it due to the chains. Both her wrists and ankles are cuffed with individual chains, all four keeping her attached to the wall, with a white circle on the cold stone floor showing the furthest distance she can reach away from her bed next to where the chains are attached to the wall. There are two windows, one on the north side of the room and the other on the south, she can't reach the windows as their to far away and their small and barred up anyway so they're of no use to Gothel.

Much to Gothel's dismay escape certainly seems impossible, the only way out is the door across the room and from what Gothel can hear there are guards outside at all times. Not that she could even break her chains as other than her bed the room is empty and the guards would hear the bed being moved, she'd checked that before and to top things off she was never given utensils for her meals so she couldn't even gamble on trying to pick the locks of her restraints. Though thinking about that last part causes Gothel to pause.

'I'm going in circles' Gothel thinks to herself as she sits down along the wall. 'I've looked at all these angles before, I know I'm not getting out of here, there wouldn't be much point in escaping anyway.' Gothel frowns as she puts one hand to her forehead, just barely sighing in frustration. 

'I wish I at least had my own clothes' She scowls as she looks at the raggedy prison garb she'd been forced to wear, part of her personal sentence she supposed. 

'Then again...' She quirks an eyebrow as she observes the disgusting garment. 'Why even take the time to give me a different outfit? Or feed me? I've been here for five days, shouldn't I be hanging already?'

Gothel certainly doesn't want to get her hopes up and start thinking their not going to kill her, that will make the inevitable trip to the gallows all the more crushing when it happens. 

Gothel is broken from her thoughts by the sound of her cell door creaking open incredibly loudly, she swears they leave that door intentionally unoiled just to bug her. Stepping into her room come two guards, one armed with a crossbow and the other holding a plate of food. The food bearer walks up to the white line as the other trains his sights on Gothel, ensuring she won't try anything. Gothel is moderately impressed someone actually managed to whip these soldiers into shape, maybe they have a new captain or something.

The food bearing guard, a disgruntled looking man with a mustache, holds a stern grimace the entire time he's in the room and he doesn't so much put the food on the ground as he does simply drop it, the plate and the bowl on top clattering around with some of the contents spilling on the floor. The guards then leave without a single word, the .

'One of these days those boys are gonna nut up and end me' Gothel thinks with a shrug, not really believing they had it in them. Paying the guards no second thoughts she stands up from her spot along the wall and shuffles her way over to her meal, it's nothing fancy just some meat and vegetables, probably just lefts overs from the kitchen which is all she expects to receive. Though Gothel frowns as she hears the clattering of chains when she tries to grab her food.

'What?' Gothel turns her head, while one arm stays outstretched to grab the plate. Sure enough, as she looks backwards her chains are being pulled tight and turning forward to look at the ground shows a white line in front of her plate of food.

'You've got to be kidding me' Gothel grunts in anger as she tries to contort her body and somehow reach the only sustenance she'll have all day but it quickly becomes apparent that she won't be able to get it. after trying for what feels like an hour Gothel slumps down in defeat and glares at the door.

'Bastard' Gothel growls, though she doesn't speak, all it would do is attract the guards attention and Gothel would prefer to see their ugly mugs as little as possible. 'I'll find a way to get back at him for this.' But with no options at the moment she has no choice but to return to her spot along the wall.

'He did that on purpose.' Gothel muses to herself. 'Perhaps he intends to starve me out. There'd be no way to prove I wasn't simply choosing not to eat myself. Or perhaps it's just a way to ensure I behave?'

'More than likely he's just a buffoon' Gothel sighs as she clutches her stomach, she only gets fed once a day so the lack of nutrition is wearing on her.

'I wonder, did Rapunzel ever feel like this? I did leave her alone a lot.' And there it is, the one thing her thoughts always returned to these days. Rapunzel.

She often thinks about the girl, how she could have treated her or what she could have done differently to make everything work.

'Perhaps I could have found a way to frighten her more? Or perhaps just made her a prisoner from the start?' Gothel frowns as her thoughts continue. 'Maybe I didn't need to imprison her like I did? After all it would seem she wandered around the castle town before the festival without being recognized somehow. Perhaps my own paranoia is what doomed me?'

'If I had another chance I'd do it better.' Gothel decides to slide into bed, her chains forcing her to have lay in an uncomfortable position. Her weary body falls asleep quickly despite it.

Gothel is roused from her slumber by the sounds of the door creaking open again, likely the guards returning for her food. Gothel decides to keep her eyes closed and pretend to sleep so she wouldn't have to deal with them, what confuses her though is the sound of hushed voices in some kind of debate then the door closes and she only hears one set of footsteps, lighter than normal. Whoever has come in seems to pace around the room with unsure steps. Deciding this may actually be interesting Gothel decides to open her eyes, only to be met with a face she never expected to see again.

Standing there, looking at the newly awoken prisoner is Rapunzel herself, Her long hair in an immense braid. The girl stares at Gothel, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Rapu-" Gothel gasps out, sitting up quickly only to trip over her chains and land on the floor, not bothering with feeling embarrassed Gothel corrects herself and stands up properly. Her eyes wide as she stares at Rapunzel in shock.

The girl was looking well, just as healthy as she'd ever been though now she seemed to have a pair of shoes. Gothel smiles ever so slightly at the fact Rapunzel still wears the purple gown she'd given her. Rapunzel on the other hand simply seems to be trying to process everything she's seeing. Gothel realizes she must be quite a sight as she's had no way to maintain her appearance while here. She'd never appeared as less than her best before the girl before.

The two stare at each other for quite sometime, neither of them saying anything and not always meeting the others gaze.

'Why isn't she talking?' Gothel ponders as she studies Rapunzel. 'She should be shouting or something. Does she want me to speak first?' Gothel turns her head to the floor and glares while her face can't be seen.

'Perhaps she expects me to apologize? Or beg for my life? No, I won't give her the satisfaction of seeing me in such a state. I won't say a word.'

The silence continues for a time with Gothel refusing to speak and Rapunzel simply observing the room, taking in what few details exist in the tower chamber, Rapunzel's eyebrows quirk up in confusion as she observes the food plate on the floor. 

"Why haven't you- Oh." Rapunzel kneels down to pick up the food and moves it to a place where Gothel could reach it. Hesitating slightly Gothel ultimately decides she should take it. She walks up to the plate, Rapunzel taking a few steps back from the white line as she draws near. Gothel takes her meal and walks back to sit on her bed to eat, still offering no words to Her visitor.

And that is how they sit, the Princess looking at the prisoner as she eats her meal. Gothel feels ridiculous the entire time, some the vegetables and meats she's been provided feeling awkward to eat with bare hands and she can tell she looks like a savage.

Even upon finishing her food Gothel offers nothing, not even a word of thanks, her mind has been running none stop with thoughts.

'She wants something, that's why she's here. She's seeking something only I can provide.' Gothel looks at her knees and pulls a loose strand of thread from her garment, then returns her gaze to the young woman across from her, searching her unsure expression.

'Closure, That's what she's looking for. Something that she can use to come to terms with everything and move on from this part of her life.' Gothel looks from Rapunzel to the floor with a stern face. 'But I won't give her that. It's what they've been waiting on, it's why I'm alive. When Rapunzel moves on there will be no need to keep me around.'

It was only a theory but for Gothel the fact she was still alive proved the theory true, she saw no other reason for them to simply imprison her. A light coming in from the window draws both women's attention, showing that the sun is beginning to set. Gothel then realizes that her and Rapunzel must have been sitting in silence for hours.

The door to the cell creaks open and the guards step inside, the mustache guard approaches Rapunzel and gives a respectful salute.

"Princess, The Queen is requesting you."

"Oh, of course. I'll be right there. Thank you." Rapunzel answers slowly, she walks with the guard to the door, giving Gothel one last look before walking out.

"By the way, you should get someone up here to clean the door. It's a bit squeaky." Are Rapunzel's last words before the door is closed.

And just like that Gothel is alone once again.

'That was, certainly unexpected.' Gothel thinks as she drops her plate onto the floor, deciding to let the guards worry about it. She isn't sure what to make of what just happened. 

Shuffling herself back into her best sleeping position, with her chained limbs all off to the side so the restraints touch as little of her as possible, Gothel decides it's time to actually get some sleep.

'Tomorrow is another day.' Gothel muses as she closes her eyes. 'Let's see what it brings.'


End file.
